TRAVEL NOTEBOOK Carolina Bucci shares her insider’s guide to Florence
The jewellery designer on the wonders of Florence
Three words that describe Florence
‘Perfect blue sky.’
Best place to stay
‘Normally at my house, but when my husband and I went back to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary we booked into JK Place, the same hotel where we stayed after our ceremony. It’s so beautiful and homely and the service is always impeccable.’ www.jkplace.com
Ideal travelling companions
‘My husband and children. We’re also currently training our new Pomeranian puppy Apollo so he can travel with us.’
Favourite view in the city
‘Looking out of the window of our atelier on the Ponte Vecchio, where my family started their watch and jewellery business in 1885 and where all of our stones are still set today. It’s the only window at the very bottom of the bridge. The view is magical.’
The best place to eat in Florence
‘La Bottega del Buon Caffè, near the river on Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini.’
www.b or go in the city
Best tip for relaxation
‘Stroll down Via Maggio where all the antique dealers are. It’s not a grand street, but it’s soothing and peaceful. Going into all the shops is like stepping into another world full of treasures.’
Favourite memory of Florence
‘For me, Florence is linked to my favourite smell in the world, olive-trees in bloom. Whenever I catch it on the wind, it reminds me of the springs and summers of my childhood. I wish I could bottle it.’
Best tip for adventure
‘We recently organised a treasure hunt for my children with Alessandra Bernabei, who leads brilliant walking tours all over the city. It was so much fun for the adults as well, because it made us see parts of the city we’d never appreciated before; even my father, who knows Florence like the back of his hand.’
www.walksinsideitaly.com
What do you pack
‘My favourite Saint Laurent trainers, and slippers in lots of colours by Le Monde Beryl. I’ve just discovered ELV jeans, a brand that reuses vintage denim so it’s much more sustainable. I love Rosie Assoulin, Borgo De Nor and Georgia Hardinge dresses, which I wear during the day with denim shirts. And my watch – the new Royal Oak Frosted Gold I designed for Audemars Piguet. Its shape is based on one of the vintage men’s styles from the 1970s, but it has a mirrored face and a sparkling surface that we created using the Florentine technique – the gold is beaten with a special hammer until it is textured and glittering, like pavé diamonds.’
Beauty essentials
‘Calyx perfume by Clinique, which I have been wearing since I was 16, Chapstick, Chanel mascara, Nails Inc polish and Aurelia Probiotic Skincare.’
Best holiday read
‘An evocative memoir by the jeweller Fulco di Verdura, called The Happy Summer Days: A Sicilian Childhood.’
‘Florence is linked to my
favourite smell in the world, olive-trees in bloom’